Improvement in steam vacuum-pumps



' 2 Sheets--Sheet1. .C. H-.- HALL.

Improvement in Steam Vacuum-Pumps. No. 131,542. {u Patentg i Sep..24,187.?-U-

SI if V I 2Shets--Sheet2. CL HJHALL.

. Improvement in Stea m Vacuum-Pumps. N0. 131,542; fPatented Sep. 24,1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT fission.

CHARLES H. HALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM VACUUM-PUMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,542, dated September 24, 1872.

CASE B To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. HALL, of New York city, in the State of New York, have invented a certain Improvement in Steam Pumping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification:

To distinguish this from other inventions of my own, which are somewhat analogous, I will designate this particular invention by the Greek letter Beta.

The following is a description of what I con-' sider the best means of carrying out the invention. The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my pump in the plane am, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same in l the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same in the line 2 2, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionof the same in the line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to a vacuum-pump composed of two working-chambers, which alternately fill with liquid by the suction of a vacuum formed therein by the condensation of steam, and from which the liquid is alternately displaced by the direct action of steam on said liquid. The. steam admission is con tracted, and also controlled by valves with suitable connections for inducing a prompt and correct operation. I employ a balancelever in combination with the rods orstems supporting the steam-valves of the workingchambers in such a manner that by said balance-lever the alternate action of the steamvalves is insured, one of these valves being compelled to close when the other opens. I also arrange supply-valves between collars on the stems of the steam-valves in such a manner that whenever one of the steam-valves is thrown open by the force of the liquid it (the valve) strikes the upper collar, and assists in closing the steam-valve inits own workingchamber; and when the working-chamber is filled with liquid its supply-valve falls down upon the lower collar, in which position it remains until the opposite working-chamber. is emptied, when the pressure of the steam forces said valve down on its seat, and thereby the steam-valve in the opposite working-chamber is closed against the pressure of the steam acting "on its face. I also arrange a supply-valve chamber beneath. the working-chambers, and communicating directly with said workingchambers through the supply-valves in such a manner that when a vacuum is formed in one of the workin g-chambers the liquid sucked in by the vacuum will pass from the supplyvalve chamber directly into the working-chamber without being compelled to pass through either of the condensing-chambers. I also arrange inclined shelves covering the apertures which lead from the working-chambers in the condensing-chambers, and extending down beneath the level of the top edges of the openings leading from the working-chambers in the steam-passages in such a manner that when the liquid in one of the working-chambers has descended below the top edge of the opening leading to the steam passage the steam is effectually prevented by the inclined shelf or abutment from passing out directly into the condensing-chamber, and it is compelled to escape through the steam-passage, whereby the correct operation of the pump is materially improved. I also arrange dams, which prevent the further outflow of the water after the water has been expelled down to a certain level, so as to allow the steam to more freely escape and be condensed, so as thereby to induce a more sudden condensation and more perfect vacuum.

In the drawing, the letters A A designate the working-chambers which are set on a common bed-plate, which may be cast solid with orotherwise firmly attached to the same, and which are separated from each other by the condensingchambers B B, each of which communicates with one of the working-chambers through an aperture, 12 or I), (see Figs. 1, 3, and 4,) while said condensing-chambers are separated from each other by a partition, a, (see Figs. 2 and 4.) In the condensing-chambers B B are the steam-passages D D, which are spaced off from said chambers by partitions 0 c, and which communicate with the working-chambers A A, through openings (1 d, (see Figs. 1, 3, and 4,) while they are open at the top and communicate freely with the condensing-chambers. The tops of the workingehambers are conical, so that the steam on coming in contact with the liquid in said chambers strikes a contracted surface, and thereby the condensation of the steam is limited to a minimum. Steam is admitted to the workingchambers through steam-pipes n n, the inner ends of which form seats for valves 0 0, and which connect with a common steam-generator. The valves 0 0 are mounted on vertical stems p p, which extend out through openings r 0" in the bottoms of the working-chambers and rest upon the ends of a balance-lever, 1, best seen in Fig. 1. This lever has its fulcrum on a pivot, s, secured in lugs cast or otherwise secured to the bottom of the working-chambers, and its object is to cause the steam-valves 0 0 to open and close alternately without fail. The valves 0 0 are placed loosely on their stems, and they are guided by cages q q, while the stems are held in an upright position by spiders t t. The openings 1" 1" lead into the supply-valve chamber E, and they form the seats for the supply-valves is k. Gr is the supply or suction pipe. The supplyvalves k k are placed loosely on the stems p 19, and said stems are provided with collars g g above, and collars m m below, said valves, so that if one of the valves is lifted by the force of the liquid, it will strike the upper collar and assist in closing the corresponding steam-valve, as shown in Fig. 1, where the supply-valve k is open and the corresponding steam-valve 0 is closed, and if one of the working-chambersA, for instance-is filled with liquid. its supply-valve it drops down upon the lower collar m and rests thereon until the other working-chamber, A, is emptied which the liquid is to be taken, care being taken to place the pump within the height to which the liquid will rise in a vacuum by the atmospheric pressure. I then fill the chambers A A B B with liquid by pouring it in through the discharge-valves l l, the caps of which can be readily unscrewed, so that said valves can be removed from their seats. After having readjusted these valves and their caps, I open one of the steam-pipes n or nf0r instance, the pipe n-by a suitable cock, not represented, so that steam enters the workin gchamber A, and as the liquid from this chamber is being displaced the steam-pipe n is also opened, the valve 0 being kept closed by the action of the balance-lever I. When the liquid in the chamber A has descended so as to uncover the opening d, the steam rushes out through the passage D, and, being mingled with the water, it condenses immediately, a vacuum is formed in the chamber A, the valve kflies open, and the valve 0 closes, thereby opening the valve 0, so that while the chamber A is filling with liquid sucked in by the vacuum the chamber A discharges, and so on as long as the supply of liquid lasts. To prevent the steam from rushing out through the apertures b 1) directly into the condensingchambers B B, said apertures are covered by inclined shelves or abutments o o, and by compelling the steam to pass up through the passages D D, its instantaneous condensation is insured. This effect is still further insured by the dams d' in front of the apertures d d, said dams rising somewhat above the top edges of the apertures. If one of said apertures is uncovered the steam rushes out, driving all the liquid contained within the dam out through the steam-passage, and the counter current which returns from the condensing-chambers through the aperture 1) or b cannot close the aperture d or d before the steam has been entirely condensed. By combining the two groups of chambers and their valves with the balance-lever I a nearly steady stream is produced.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. The balance-lever I mounted below the my hand this 22d day of June, 1872, in-the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. G. H. HALL. Witnesses:

ARNOLD HoRMANN, W. (J. DEY. 

